He said a journalist from the Times newspaper wrote down what he had to say to make sure he stuck to tradition.

Tony, who has been a town crier 25 years and also runs an elderly home, has endeavoured to be part of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's marriage from the start.He waited outside Buckingham Palace for several hours during the royal wedding to get a glimpse of the royal couple and proclaim their marriage again in the tradition of a town crier.

But his fondness for the royal family started much earlier when he met the Queen Mother as a child during a royal walkabout.

He said: "I love the royal family, I love them to bits."

And he even has a few words of advice for the new parents: "Have some more children! I'm waiting for the next one to do it again."

His full proclamation, in front of the world's media and wellwishers gathered outside the London hospital was: "On this day, the 22nd of July, the year 2013, we welcome with honorable duty a future king.

"The first born of the Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The third in line to the throne.

"Our new prince is the third great-grandchild of Her Majesty the Queen and the first grandchild of the royal highness the Prince of Wales.

"May he be long lived, happy and glorious and one day to reign over us.